The Cobloghttp://www.thecoblog.net
Fri, 13 Oct 2017 21:34:02 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Lesson 80http://www.thecoblog.net/2017/07/lesson-80/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2017/07/lesson-80/#respondSat, 01 Jul 2017 15:42:38 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=624I taught this lesson to a student at an SCA practice recently. The student has been fencing around 6 months and has recently started taking classes with me. This is first time we’ve worked together in an individual lesson. My goal in the lesson was to reinforce some of the technical concepts we’ve been working on in class – hand positions, placement of parries, opposition, etc… as well as to introduce some tactical thoughts. I used actions 17 and 18 to demonstrate scenarios where it makes sense to parry vs counterattack in rapier, and to introduce the idea of controlling the timing of an opponent’s attack by provoking actions in tempo. My student did a great job of keeping up with this lesson, and now that I’m thinking back over it to write it down, I’m rather impressed with how much material we were able to cover:

From invitation in third, straight thrust

In time, as the instructor invites in third, straight thrust, then add mobility

From invitation in fourth, straight thrust

In time, as the instructor invites in fourth, straight thrust, then add mobility

From the instructor’s engagement in third, disengagement

As the instructor attempts to engage in third, disengagement, then add mobility

As the instructor attempts to engage in fourth, disengagement, then add mobility

Instructor’s choice between 6 and 7

From the student’s engagement in fourth, glide

From the student’s engagement in third, parry fourth, riposte by glide

As the student attempts to engage in third, parry fourth, riposte by glide

Same thing, but initiate the engagement as the instructor places blade in line

Engage in third with an advance and glide (blade seizure)

Attempt a blade seizure in third, instructor attacks with a disengagement in time, parry fourth riposte by glide

Attempt a blade seizure in third, instructor frees the blade but does not attack, engage in fourth and glide

Instructor’s choice between 13, 14, and 15

From the student’s engagement in third, time thrust in fourth (not successful)

In time, as the student attempts to engage in third, time thrust in fourth (successful)

Student attempts a blade seizure in third, instructor counterattacks with a disengagement in time, time thrust in fourth

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2017/07/lesson-80/feed/0Lesson 79 – Decatur School of Arms: Beatshttp://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-79-decatur-school-of-arms-beats/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-79-decatur-school-of-arms-beats/#respondSat, 18 Jun 2016 13:11:30 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=606Two weeks ago in class, I taught a lesson on actions on the blade – these are attacks which make contact with the blade to remove it from its position in line either prior to, or during the attack. For instance, a glide begins with domination of the blade and progressively forces it further out of line during the attack, while a beat strikes the opponent’s blade to the side so that it is momentarily out of control (Capoferro describes both kind of actions as dominating the opponent’s blade). Last week’s group lesson was an exploration of some of the kinds of beats that can be used in rapier. We practiced: simple beats, false-edge beats, change beats, circular beats, and grazing beats.

From the opponent’s invitation in third, straight thrust

From the opponent’s invitation in fourth, straight thrust

From the student’s engagement in fourth, glide

From the student’s engagement in third, glide

From the student’s engagement (third or fourth), change of engagement and glide

From the student’s engagement (third or fourth), double change of engagement and glide

From the student’s invitation third, simple beat in fourth and straight thrust

From the student’s invitation in fourth, simple beat in third and straight thrust

From the student’s invitation in fourth, false edge beat to the outside and cut inside cheek

From the student’s invitation third, false edge beat to the inside and cut outside cheek

From the student’s engagement in third, change beat in fourth (similar to a change of engagement, but ending with a beat) and straight thrust

From the student’s engagement in fourth, change beat in third and thrust

From the opponent’s engagement in fourth, circular beat in fourth (similar movement as the last actions) and thrust

From the opponent’s engagement in third, circular beat in third and thrust

From the student’s invitation in third, grazing beat in fourth (the blade moves backwards a bit and slides against the blade, the opponent reacts against the direction of the beat and opens their outside line) and thrust to the outside line

From the student’s invitation in fourth, grazing beat in third and thrust to the inside line

From the student’s invitation in third, grazing beat in fourth, draw the weapon back and make a thrust to the low line in first in a movement similar to an ascending circular cut.

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-79-decatur-school-of-arms-beats/feed/0Lesson 78 – Cutovershttp://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-78-cutovers/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-78-cutovers/#respondSat, 18 Jun 2016 12:49:55 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=605Last week in class, I gave an individual lesson based on the cutover (coupé). A cutover is a disengagement over the opponent’s blade, where you lift your blade and draw it back just enough to clear the opponent’s blade before extending to thrust. Done correctly, the entire action occurs in a single, continuous movement. Cutovers are relatively rare in rapier fencing (though Giganti does have a few examples), both, because the movement is much larger than a normal disengagement, as well as that drawing the blade backwards can be a good tempo for an opponent to attack. Nevertheless, they can be quite useful.

The other reason that I wanted to focus on cutovers in this lesson was because Bondi di Mazo’s “Thrust below” reminded me a lot of the cutover to the low line that I was taught in foil. The cutover to the low line is one of the larger actions in Italian foil and is executed against an engagement in fourth. The weapon is drawn back, and in a circular movement, not unlike an ascending circular cut, the blade is brought back in line for a hit to the opponent’s flank below the arm. di Mazo describes an action where you feint an imbrocatta to your opponent’s face, and as he lifts his guard to pary, you make a thrust in second via a downward cutting angle, ending with your hand in first. Looking back over this, there may be less of a connection than I’d thought – it may be a stretch to interpret the thrust as an action where you pull your weapon back for a wide circular movement, though it does end with a thrust very similar to what is shown in the text. Anyway, here’s the lesson that I taught:

In time, from my invitation, straight thrust

In time, as I push against the blade, disengagement

In time, as I extend my arm, glide

On command, from my engagement in third, cutover to the inside line

From my engagement in fourth, cutover to the outside high line

From my engagement in fourth, cutover to the outside low line, ending with the hand in first

In time, as I attempt to engage in third, cutover to the inside line

In time, as I attempt to engage in fourth, cutover to the outside high line

In time, as I attempt to engage in fourth, cutover to the outside low line

In time, as I attempt to engage in fourth, feint by disengagement and cutover to the inside high line

In time, as I attempt to engage in third, feint by disengagement and cutover to the outside high line

In time, as I attempt to engage in fourth, feint by disengagement and cutover to the outside low line

In time, as I attempt to engage in third, feint by cutover and disengagement

In time, as I attempt to engage in fourth, feint by cutover and disengagement

In time, use a feint by disengagement and cutover to elude either a simple or circular parry

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/06/lesson-78-cutovers/feed/0Johann Georg Pascha’s Grappling in Rapierhttp://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/johann-georg-paschens-grappling/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/johann-georg-paschens-grappling/#respondSat, 30 Jan 2016 23:59:41 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=423Among George Silver’s many gripes about the Italian fencing masters of his day was that “Wardes and Gripes, they have none”. Even if the masters did teach grappling, Silver argues, the weapon would be wholly unsuitable for them, “a childish toy wherwith a man can do nothing but thrust, nor that neither, by reason of the length” (Silver, 32). After all, what could one possibly be expected to do with a 40+ inch rapier when one closes? Silver’s condemnation displays more of a lack of imagination on his part than an innate flaw in the rapier, however. Disarms and hilt grappling were common in Destreza and are called movements of conclusion (Curtis). While earlier authors in the Italian tradition often included wrestling and grappling actions, they are relatively sparse in late sixteenth century Italian manuals. As this paper demonstrates, we should not assume that these actions were unused or forgotten, however.

The famous Paduan fencing master, Salavtor Fabris (1544-1618), acknowledges the usefulness of grappling, but he describes it as belonging more to the realm of wrestling than to fencing. He says that he prefers to focus on “the proper defenses, the attacks, and in the advantage of the sword” than in coming to grips (Leoni, 14). Fabris’s seeming dismissal of wrestling techniques is at odds with the actual emphasis of his book, however. For someone who claims to feel his book would have been complete without a discussion of grappling and disarms, Fabris spends a considerable amount of time on them, dedicating the final section of his book to the topic (Leoni, 263). Fabris’s interest in the topic is consistent with a long, though often overlooked, tradition of grappling in Italian rapier fencing.

Surprisingly, one of the best sources that we have for grappling in Italian rapier fencing is actually from a German master. Johann Georg Pascha (1628-1678) is connected to the Italian tradition through the teachings of a noble named Heinrich von und zum Felde. According to one of Pascha’s manuscripts, one of his friends was a student of zum Felde, who was himself a student of Fabris and other Italian masters. 1 Pascha incorporated zum Felde’s teachings into lessons he’d learned from his university for his book, Kurtze iedoch Deutliche Beschreibung handlend von Fechten auff den Stosz und Hieb (Short Though Clear Description Treatment of Fencing on the Thrust and Cut) published in 1661 in Sachsen. 2 Pascha’s book consists of a series of sixteen lessons. There are eight lessons on fencing with the thrust only and eight lessons on fencing with cuts. Each lesson contains fifteen to twenty actions, and most have a theme that builds on elements introduced in previous lessons.

In a previous article, I discussed how the first four lessons can be used to form the basis of an entire rapier curriculum and I explored their connection to the Italian tradition. This article will analyze Pascha’s fifth lesson, which focuses primarily on grappling. For our purposes, I define grappling as any fencing action that takes place at extremely close distance and uses the off hand to control an opponent’s blade or arm in order to gain an advantage. Pascha’s grappling typically terminates in a thrust, a pommel strike, or a disarm, and often uses a pull forwards to throw an opponent off balance. 3 In December 2015, Maestro Kevin Murakoshi and I filmed an interpretation of each of the actions taught in lesson five. This article will use images from our video to provide insight into the use of grappling in Italian rapier fencing.

I have divided the lesson into three parts. Actions 1-6 serve well as an introduction for a lesson with a few simple actions to begin with and then exercises that introduce some of the concepts that will be revisited later in the lesson. Actions 7-10 each follow a pattern where the student uses an attack to provoke a parry and set up a secondary action. Actions 11-19 focus on using parries to set up holds, disarms and pommel strikes.

Part 1 – #1-6

The first six actions in lesson five can be viewed either as warm up exercises or introductions to some of the actions used later in the text.

Engage the adversary in the 4th. Act as if you want to thrust the 4th, and in thrusting go under the adversary’s cross, and thrust the Quarte under the adversary’s blade, which is almost like a slice, as No. 31. shows.

Image 31 from Pascha

The first action in the lesson is a simple attack similar to the ‘fourth revers’ (also referred to as a flanconnade) introduced in lesson one, but combined with a blade action that expels the opponent’s blade during the attack. Like the fourth revers, it starts with an engagement in fourth. As the arm is extended, the tip is directed to the flank below the opponent’s guard. As the image shows, the blade contact is not maintained during the action. Rather than maintaining opposition to the inside as in the fourth revers, the hand is moved to the inside during the extension, palm up so that the opponent’s weapon is “thrown” to the side.

Sequence showing the thrust, starting with an engagement in fourth.

When the adversary thrusts the 4th very high at you (as otherwise, when the adversary thrusts low near the blade, this Lesson does not work), then step forward somewhat with your right foot, and drop with your left hand on the ground, but with your blade under the adversary’s blade, in the Secunde, and hide your head well under your sword, as No. 32. shows.

Image 32 from Pascha

The second action in the lesson is what is usually referred to as a passata sotto. It is a counterattack against an attack to the high line where the upper body is lowered out of the path of the incoming weapon. It is usually performed with a lunge. 4 The off hand is either placed on the ground, or held forwards near the chest. In modern fencing, this is usually taught with a backwards lunge.

The passata sotto

A Lesson with both hands over the arm. Grip the sword with your left hand in the strong of your sword, strike with your sword on the adversary’s weak on the outside, step with your left foot towards the adversary, disengage with your blade under the adversary’s blade, and thrust with both hands through under his blade. Step to with your right foot, disengage up again from below, and go on the adversary’s blade. Grasp the adversary with the left hand by his hilt, step back with your right foot, put your body well backwards, and hold your point towards the adversary so that he cannot take your sword, as No. 33. shows.

Image 33 from Pascha

As Lesson over the arm with both hands in another manner. Grip the sword with your left hand in the strong of your sword, strike with your sword on the adversary’s weak on the outside, step with your foot towards the adversary, thrust with both hands over his blade, and step to with your right foot. Go back again on the adversary’s blade, grasp the adversary with your left hand by his hilt and step back, as in the previous Lesson.

In actions three and four, the weapon is held in both hands in order to make a beat against an opponent’s weapon. Placing the off hand on the blade is often referred to as half-swording, and while not particularly common in rapier, both Capoferro and Giganti include examples of its use in their texts. While earlier texts tend to recommend grasping the weapon after an opponent’s attack has been parried, Pascha’s usage is unique because he initiates the attack by grabbing his own weapon and making a beat with it. In a later lesson, he introduces a guard where the weapon is held in both hands – especially useful if you are tired.

These actions also introduce a pattern for finishing an attack that is used extensively in the rest of the lesson and through the rest of the book: once an opponent has been hit and your off hand has found the weapon, step back with your front foot and keep your point aimed at your opponent. Stepping back while holding the weapon has the added benefit of throwing your opponent off balance and onto your weapon, while maintaining a stable position.

The opponent is off balance

>When the adversary thrusts you the 3rd over the arm, then parry this thrust out far with the hanging Secunde, and thrust the Secunde at the adversary’s blade, as No. 34. shows.

Images 36 from Pascha, shows a hanging parry of second

Image 34 from Pascha shows a riposte in second by detachment after a parry of hanging second

Action five uses a hanging parry of second to defend against a thrust in third to the outside high line. This parry is typically used against attacks to the low line, and its use in this context is difficult to perform. The parry is returned to later in the lesson to set up several different holds or strikes. It may help to raise the hand above the shoulder to ensure the parry is successful. The image in the text appears to show a riposte to the outside highline by detachment, rather than a riposte by glide.

When the adversary thrusts the 4th on the inside, then make a beat with your strong in his weak several times, as No. 35. shows, and, when he gives way, always follow after with your feet, and finally thrust the 4th on the inside.

Image 35 from Pascha

This action is less straightforward than the rest as it specifies making several beats in a row – we viewed this as a more of a training exercise than something that would be used in actual fencing. Classical Italian sabre uses exercises where a student makes a parry several times in a row, working from larger to smaller movements in order to help “fix” the position of the parry. We interpreted this as a similar “fixing” exercise where the student continuously makes a beat in fourth until the instructor steps back and triggers the lunge. The exercise helps the student to both practice the correct movement and placement of a beat as well as to respond with a lunge the instant the instructor pulls distance. A similar choice is used later in the lesson where the student must correctly choose whether to initiate a hold if the distance is close, or to riposte with a lunge if the instructor attempts to recover out of measure.

Several beats in fourth followed by a lunge to the inside high line

Part 2 – #7-10

Actions seven through ten each follow a similar pattern. The student attacks with a thrust to the inside line, the instructor makes a beating parry of fourth, and the student continues with a new action. It is tempting to read these as either counter-parries or renewed attacks since they are used in opposition to a parry, but the timing and distance become too tight to reliably perform the actions safely. Another option is to view the initial movement as relatively tentative initial attack meant to draw an early parry that can be defeated by immediately moving to a new action before the opponent can riposte. This interpretation is also consistent with Pascha’s earlier advice: when you want to thrust at the adversary, this must be done with half force, and you must see to it that you direct your strong straight in front of you, and that you thrust in long at the adversary in his weak. But when the adversary parries, which happens without doubt, inasmuch as he is engaged unforeseen or against his will, then pay attention whether he parries high or low, to the inside or to the outside as you retreat, thus go with your blade on the adversary’s blade, which must always be done.” (Van Noort, 6) Instead of needing to defend against the instructor’s riposte, the timing of the actions anticipates the parry and prevents the riposte from happening.

Actions eight and nine also follow the same recovery action first described in lesson four where the opponent is pulled forwards onto the fencer’s point.

When you now thrust the adversary the 4th on the inside, and makes a beat with his strong in your weak, then disengage and thrust him the Tertie over the arm.

Initial extension, disengagement mid-lunge, and thrust in third

Or when you thrust the adversary the 4th on the inside, and he makes a beat with his strong in your weak, then turn your hand in the 2nd, so that you stand in the hanging Secunde, as No. 36. Step to with your left foot, grasp the adversary with your left hand by his hilt or the strong of his sword, step back with your right foot, and proceed, as done in No. 33.

The initial, short lunge, the pass in second, and the recovery

Or, when you thrust the adversary the 4th on the inside, and he makes a beat with his strong in your weak, then turn your hand low in the Tertie, and thrust him the upward Tertie under the blade, step in and proceed, as in the previous Lesson.

The initial, short lunge, the pass in third, and the recovery

Or, when you thrust the adversary the Quarte on the inside, and he makes a beat with his strong in your weak, then jump back and strike around with your blade, so that your sword comes over the adversary’s sword, and you are in the wide measure.

The initial attack, and recovery with a jump back, ending in an engagement in fourth at wide measure

Part 3 – #11-19

In his 1671 manuscript, Pascha defines a hold as a parry followed by a half pass. The last part of the lesson introduces six holds, three holds begin with a parry of fourth, two begin with a parry of hanging second, and one begins with a parry of third. While these are flashy techniques that may impress an observer, they are difficult to use against an experienced opponent. Pascha writes they are useful “against those who have not learned fencing, or who do long, slung thrusts. But against those who can do what they want with their blade, they are somewhat unsafe.” 7

It is important that the parry and half pass are timed so that the opponent’s weapon is controlled with the off hand before passing forward, otherwise a fencer risks running into the opponent’s point. The further away the opponent is after the parry, the more risky it is to try to make the hold. An opponent’s deep, committed attack can often expose them to a hold, or a parry with a step forward can be used to close the distance as well. Pascha recommends a parry with an advance in order to set up a hold, but notes that if they opponent feints, then “you will run into it splendidly.”

Perform the first hold in the 4th. When the adversary thrusts you the 4th on the inside, then parry this, step to with your left foot, and with your left hand grasp the adversary by the strong of his sword or the hilt, as No. 37. shows, and proceed, as done in No. 33.

Image 37 from Pascha

Parry in fourth, grab the blade, and pass forward

However, when the adversary thrusts the 4th on the inside, and you want to perform the previous Lesson, and he gives way, then thrust the adversary the long 4th in on the inside, as is often taught.

Parry in fourth and attempt to close distance as before, but riposte with a lunge on the opponent’s retreat

The other hold in the 3rd, as when the adversary thrusts you the 3rd over the arm, then parry this thrust with the 3rd, step in with your left foot, as No. 38. demonstrates, grasp the adversary’s strong of the sword or hilt, turn the sword around, so that the point comes outside of your body, and proceed as reported at No. 33. 8

Image 38 from Pascha

Parry in third, grab the blade, rotate it to the outside and hit with a pass

However, when the adversary thrusts the Tertie on the outside, and you want to perform the hold in the 3rd, and he gives way, then thrust the adversary the 3rd long over the arm, as is often mentioned.

Parry in third and attempt to close distance as before, but riposte with a lunge on the opponent’s retreat

Make the third hold with the hanging 2nd over the arm, as when the adversary thrusts you the Tertie over the arm, then parry this thrust with the hanging 2nd, step in with your left foot, and grasp the adversary’s strong of the sword or hilt, as No. 39. shows, then knock the adversary in the face with your hilt, and proceed, as done in N. 33.

Image 39 from Pascha

Parry in hanging second, grab the opponent’s hilt, hit them in the face and recover

If the adversary now thrusts you the 3rd over the arm, and you want to perform the hold with the hanging 2nd, but the adversary gives way, then thrust the adversary the long 2nd in on the blade.

Parry in hanging second as before, but riposte with a lunge on the opponent’s retreat

The fourth hold in the 4th on the inside, as when the adversary thrusts the 4th on the inside, then parry this thrust with the 4th on the inside, as instructed previously, and step to with your left foot. Grasp the adversary’s half strong with your left hand, and knock the adversary’s strong of the sword with the cross of your sword, as No. 40. demonstrates, so that the sword is released from his hand, and then retreat again.

Image 40 from Pascha

Parry in fourth, grab the blade while pushing your quillons into the strong of the opponent’s blade, and complete the disarm

The fifth hold in the 4th, as when the adversary thrusts the 4th on the inside, then parry this thrust with the 4th on the inside, and step to with your left foot. Push the adversary’s blade down a little, seize the adversary with your left hand by his pommel, as No. 41. demonstrates, and tear the sword out of his hand. In this manner you can thrust him with his own sword. 9

Image 41 from Pascha

Parry in fourth, grab the opponent’s arm, take the weapon and hit with it

The sixth hold, as when the adversary thrusts you the 3rd over the arm, then parry this thrust with the hanging 2nd, step in with your left foot, grasp your and the adversary’s blade with your left hand in the strong, and drive with your right arm under the adversary’s right elbow. Strongly strike the adversary’s elbow as No. 42. shows. In this way you can break his arm, or at least he will have to let the sword go.

Conclusion

Pascha’s fifth lesson provides valuable insight into an often overlooked area of the German and Italian rapier traditions. Though these techniques were considered risky and suitable for use only against untrained fencers, the depth of technique is surprisingly well developed, with six different holds and a variety of methods for closing to grappling distance, suggesting that perhaps these techniques were as fun to practice in the seventeenth century as they are today.

A number of Fabris’s grappling techniques appear in Pascha’s text, though it is unclear how much of that he would have learned through zum Felde’s lesson and how much would have been commonly taught at university. ↩

Pascha also wrote books specifically on wrestling, but these are outside of the scope this article. ↩

Capoferro teaches this with a forward lunge in plate fourteen and also keeps the off hand near the chest. ↩

In this sequence, the second hit should have been made with a second pass forwards instead of keeping the left foot in front. Because of this, the final recovery is made by stepping back the left foot back instead of the right foot. ↩

The riposte is not specified in the text, and the image shows only the riposte and not the parry. (36 is from action eight). We chose to riposte with a glide to the low line, but a riposte by detachment to the high line would have matched the image. ↩

Fabris has an action similar to this. The opponent attacks with a mandritto, which the fencer parries in second (note: this is second with the tip upwards, more similar to Pascha’s third than a hanging second), grabs the opponent hilt and hand, twists it to the outside and hits. (Leoni, 266) ↩

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/johann-georg-paschens-grappling/feed/0From Reading to Doing: Learning how to fence from old bookshttp://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/from-reading-to-doing-learning-how-to-fence-from-old-books/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/from-reading-to-doing-learning-how-to-fence-from-old-books/#respondSat, 30 Jan 2016 13:19:27 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=419These are notes from a class that I taught a few years ago on how to go about reading source material and translating it to practical knowledge. Learning how to fence from a book is difficult. The class was meant to give an overview of the process of reconstructing a fencing system from a historical text.

The process is divided into four parts: learning the techniques, understanding theory, training the system, and refining your interpretations.

Learning the Techniques

Read the entire book, several times.

Develop a working interpretation of the mechanical details from the book

You may need to import knowledge from other books or disciplines

You won’t get it perfect. You can iterate on it as you understand the material better

Fencing masters then disagreed then just as much as they do now. It’s more important to understand the problem that each was trying to solve and how their solutions address it then it is to try to figure out who was right or wrong.

The basic movements serve as building blocks for putting together actions, but they are rarely spelled out in a text so they may need to be reverse-engineered.

When reading a plate, it’s just as important to look at the actions of the fencer who was hit, as it is to look at the actions of the fencer who “won.”

Example from Capoferro’s plate 7:

“As the explanation of the following illustration, you (D) gain the blade of your opponent (C) to the inside. He performs a cavazione to attack you with a thrust to the chest, and you strike him with a thrust to the left eye, either with no step or with an accrescimento (as shown). A prudent opponent would act as follows. He would feint the cavazione while keeping his body somewhat back. When you come forward for your attack, he would perform an outside parry (with the false or true edge), and give you a mandritto to your face or an imbrocatta to the chest. He would then recover in a low quarta.” (Trans, Tom Leoni)

Here are some of the techniques from this plate:

Engaging on the inside (fourth)

Engaging on the inside and attacking with a glide (implied)

From your opponent’s engagement, attack with a disengagement to the outside

Against an attack to the outside, parry to the outside with the true edge and riposte with a thrust

Against an attack to the outside, parry to the outside with the false edge and riposte with a cut

Against an attack to the outside, counterattack with a thrust (with and without a lunge)

Understanding the theory

The plates are often demonstrations of a piece of theory or tactic. We need to build a picture of how the actions all work together and the kinds of decisions that we need to be able to make while fencing.

We can build tables describing how techniques are used and what options are available in a given situation. Here’s a table showing the parries that Capoferro describes in his text:

Parry

Riposte

Tactical Context

Against an attack

Against a counterattack

Against a parry and riposte

Simple parry in third with the true edge

Thrust to the chest

Plate 7

Below the sword with a low pass

Plate 11

To the chest by detachment while grabbing the sword hand

Plate 14

Plate 14

With a pass while grasping the sword in both hands

Plate 12

Beating parry to the outside with the false edge (falso manco)

With a cut to the face

Plate 7

Circular parry in third

To the chest by detachment while grabbing the sword hand

Plate 13

Plate 17

Simple parry in fourth

Thrust to the chest in fourth

Plate 20

Thrust to the chest in second with a pass while grabbing the arm

Plate 20

Beating parry in fourth (mezzo mandritto)

thrust to the chest

Plate 10

riverso to the face

Plate 10

We can also start to think about the decisions the fencers are making in each plate. Here’s the logic that fencer D is working from:

And here’s the strategy that the clever fencer is working from:

Training the System

In training, we want to be able to work on techniques and concepts in isolation first and then gradually decrease the restrictions until our training resembles our fencing.

Different types of drills can accomplish different things. More cooperative drills can help with developing technical precision, while more antognistic drills can help develop timing, distance, and speed.

Start simple and gradually introduce choices into the drills. To start with, a choice should be between two, pre-planned actions. Eventually, it can be a choice between many action, both planned and unplanned.

Introduce movement and multiple hits.

Refining your Interpretations

Talk to other people who’ve done similar work

Read the book again, as you get more experience, you’ll see new things

No historical (or modern) manual describes the entirety of fencing. Read other books that offer additional information and different perspectives.

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2016/01/from-reading-to-doing-learning-how-to-fence-from-old-books/feed/0Lesson 77 – Paschen Rapier Seminar Part 6http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-77-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-6/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-77-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-6/#respondFri, 19 Jun 2015 17:08:40 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=417This is the sixth and part of the Paschen Rapier Seminar I taught in New Mexico a few weeks ago. Read more about the seminar and parts one, two, three, four, and five.

Pass in fourth to the inside line

Pass in third to the outside high line

Pass in second to the low line

Engage in fourth, pass in fourth with a glide

Engage in third, pass in third with a glide

Against an engagement in fourth, pass to the inside line while yielding in second

Against an engagement in third, pass to the outside line while yielding in fourth

Against the opponent’s pass to the inside line, parry in fourth

Against the opponent’s pass to the outside line, parry in third.

Against the opponent’s pass to the low line, parry hanging second

Against the opponent’s pass to the low line, parry hanging fourth

Against the opponent’s pass to the low line, cross step back while parrying downwards and to the left with the off hand and counterattacking in fourth

Against the opponent’s pass to the low line, cross step back while parrying under the sword arm with the off hand and counterattacking in second

Feint high in second, elude a high parry of fourth and pass below

Engage in fourth, feint by glide and disengage low in second with a pass

Engage in fourth, transport to second and glide to the low line with a pass

Engage in fourth, feint by glide and yield in second with a pass

Engage in third, feint by glide and yield in fourth with a pass

Grab the strong of your weapon with your off hand, beat on the outside, then pass in third while pressing down on the opponent’s weapon (with the off hand on the back of your weapon). Grab the opponent’s weapon by the strong and pull back while recovering and keeping your sword arm extended.

Grab the strong of your weapon with your off hand, beat on the outside. Disengage under the opponent’s weapon (as they attempt sweep back to parry second) with the hand raised and hit under their weapon. Opponent retreats and frees their sword, pass forward against while disengaging over the weapon and pressing down on the weapon in third. Grab the opponent’s weapon by the strong and pull back while recovering and keeping your sword arm extended.

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-76-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-5/feed/0Lesson 75 – Paschen Rapier Seminar Part 4http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-75-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-4/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-75-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-4/#respondSun, 07 Jun 2015 12:17:40 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=412This is the fourth part of my Paschen Rapier Seminar. Read more about the seminar and part one, two, and three

Student engages in hanging second, thrust in third to the inside high line by detachment

Student engages in hanging second with an advance. Partner frees blade and retreats. Student performs #2, making an advance with the engagement and then gliding with a lunge

Partner’s choice between #3 and #4

As #5, but partner can continue to retreat, freeing their weapon from engagement with each retreat. The student alternates between engagements of hanging second and third until the partner stops, prompting the lunge.

Student engages in hanging second, partner frees weapon and extends with the weapon high (higher than #2). Student lunges in second below the blade

Student engages in second, partner leaves the tip near the student’s strong during the engagement. Student glides in second to the outside low line

Student chooses between #1, #2, #7, and #8, based on the partner’s response to the initial engagement

#6, but each time the student engages in hanging second, the partner could choose to prompt #7 and #8 as well.

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-75-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-4/feed/0Lesson 74 – Paschen Rapier Seminar Part 3http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-74-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-3/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-74-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-3/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2015 15:03:22 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=411This is the third part of my Paschen Rapier Seminar. Read more about the seminar and part one and two.

From the student’s invitation in third, parry fourth riposte by glide

From the student’s invitation in third, parry fourth riposte by flanconnade in fourth

From the student’s invitation in fourth, parry fourth, riposte by glide

From the student’s invitation in third, parry hanging second, riposte by detachment in third

From the student’s invitation in third, parry hanging fourth, riposte by glide

From the student’s invitation in third, parry high fourth, riposte below by detachment

From the student’s invitation in third, partner attacks either high or low. Student parries fourth (normal or high) and ripostes by glide, flanconnade, or below by detachment depending on the partner’s attack

From the student’s invitation in fourth, parry high third, riposte below by detachment.

From the student’s invitation in third, partner attacks either high or low. Student parries third (normal or high) and ripostes by glide or below by detachment

From the student’s invitation in third, parry fourth with a half step forward, grab partner’s weapon at the strong and passes forward while pulling back and turning the sword so that the hilt hits the partner’s hilt and disarms them.

From the student’s invitation in third, the student parries fourth, choosing to either close distance with the half step forward and disarm, or to maintain a wider distance and riposte by glide.

From the student’s invitation in fourth, parry third with a half step forward, grab partner’s weapon and rotate it towards their outside. Pass forward and thrust, while using the sword as a leverage point and pulling back on their sword and disarming them (or making them very uncomfortable)

From the student’s invitation in fourth, the partner makes a normal attack, or a very deep attack which leaves them in very close measure. The student must choose to riposte by glide or disarm based on the distance

From the student’s engagement in third, time thrust in fourth as the partner attacks with a disengagement

From the student’s engagement in fourth, time thrust in second as the partner attacks with a disengagement

From the student’s engagement in fourth, perform a passata sotto as the partner attacks with a disengagement

]]>http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-74-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-3/feed/0Lesson 73 – Paschen Rapier Seminar Part 2http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-73-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-2/
http://www.thecoblog.net/2015/06/lesson-73-paschen-rapier-seminar-part-2/#respondTue, 02 Jun 2015 21:39:34 +0000http://www.thecoblog.net/?p=409This is the second part of my Paschen Rapier Seminar. Read more about the seminar and part one here.

Starting from the student’s invitation in third, beat in fourth and thrust direct

Starting from the student’s invitation in fourth, beat in third and thrust direct

From the partner’s engagement in third, attack with a disengagement

As the partner attempts to beat in third, attack with a disengagement in tempo

From the partner’s engagement in fourth, attack with a disengagement

As the partner attempts to beat in fourth, attack with a disengagement in tempo

Student engages in fourth, opponent frees weapon and invites in fourth. Student makes a straight thrust to the outside high line in tempo

Student engages in third, opponent frees weapon and invites in third. Student makes a straight thrust to the inside high line in tempo

From the partner’s engagement in fourth, student attacks by yielding in second to the inside high line

From the partner’s engagement in second, student attacks by yielding in fourth to the outside high line

Student engages in fourth and makes a half thrust by glide. The partner begins to parry fourth and the student finishes the thrust by yielding in second on the inside high line

Student engages in third and makes a half thrust by glide. The partner begins to parry third and the student finishes the thrust by yielding in fourth on the outside high line

Starting from the student’s engagement third, the partner frees their weapon and attempts to engage in fourth. The student attacks with a disengagement to the outside high line, then recovers back to an engagement in third and repeats the action several times.